In the Eye of the Storm
by readingmama
Summary: AU Gift for Kunrtygal for FAGE3some.   Instead of keeping her history a secret, when Clary turned 16, her mother moved them to Australia to train to be a Shadowhunter. With the alarm bells ringing,Clary slips into a portal and discovers more than a fight
1. Chapter 1

**Ficawesome Gift Exchange- 3some**

**Title: In the Eye of the Storm**

**Written for: Kuntrygal**

**Written By: Readingmama/Vampiremama **

**Rating: T**

**Summary/Prompt used: ****A couple meets in a snow storm**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the Facebook group: ** **Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.  
>.netcommunity/FAGE_3some/93625/**

**A/N- Thank you so much to Dazzleme Cullen for beta'ing. And an extra huge thanks to ThisGuiltyBlood, if it wasn't for you, Beibs, this would have never made it. I bow down to all your knowledge of MI and strive to one day be just as cool as you. And last but not least, thank you to lvtwilight09 for making me a great banner, which you can see on Facebook.  
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**This story is 5 chapters long.**

Chapter 1- The Distress Call

I wiped the sweat off my brow. It was late November and the sun beat down on me in some unnatural way. Of course it wasn't unnatural here in Australia. I wasn't Australian by birth; in fact I was raised in Brooklyn. My mother moved us here on my sixteenth birthday, four years ago. She had told me it was no longer safe to stay there. I thought she meant cause of the rise in muggings, but what I didn't know, what very few people knew was that there were demons, and those demons were after me. Vampires, werewolves, and fairies, and those were only the half demons.

My mother Jocelyn had a somewhat colorful past in which she kept a secret for my whole life. But when her 'friend', Luke, who also turned out to be a werewolf and more shockingly, her lover, found out that Valentine was after me, we got the hell out of dodge, as they say. But not here. Here they'd just say, get the fuck out of town. The Australians are not a subtle people, but they do know how to have fun. Unfortunately I'm not allowed any of that, have to keep a low profile and all, so even though I am twenty I am still not allowed to leave the house at night. By the end of the day I don't have the energy to anyway.

It was apparently not enough to run away, now I was being trained as a Shadowhunter. Which sounds all bad-ass, but really it has been me training my butt off in combat and demonology for the last four years without ever seeing so much as a fang. Luke excluded, and I don't even want to talk about the time I had to pick him up because he shifted and wrecked his pants. Wrong, just wrong.

Now you might be wondering how my mother had a werewolf boyfriend when we were Shadowhunters. Well the truth is the half demons, or Downworlders as we called them, aren't the ones we tended to kill. Sure if they get out of hand, but we were really more like police to them. It's the real demons you had to watch out for. The Moloch, Drevack, and Ravener to mention a few, the last being something between a crocodile and a centipede, with a cluster of eyes on his forehead and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Now those things were nasty, or so the gruesome drawings in my textbook would suggest.

Now before you go thinking that the slimy bug like demon impregnated a human and that's how we have half demons, let me stop you. Demons infect humans with viruses, scratches and blood exchange and all that. It's why it can spread so quickly and why it is so dangerous. Still, better than having a demon baby claw out of your uterus, right?

I grabbed the knife out of my boot. My opponent lunged at me and I side stepped, causing him to trip and fall forward. When he fell to the ground, I landed on top of him bringing my knife down quickly but stopping before I punctured him.

"Okay, that's enough," the instructor called out. She was a pretty woman, blonde and in her early twenties. She never gave us a name, saying they weren't important. Fighting was the only thing that mattered. Needless to say, she wasn't my favorite.

The boy I had defeated, Aaron, rolled over and I offered him my hand to help him up. He looked at the knife in my hand and raised an eyebrow. I sheathed it back in my boot and then he took my hand.

"Nice job, Clary," he said. "You're getting better."

I grunted and nodded. I was sore, it was the first fight I had actually won. Most Shadowhunter children are trained from the moment they can walk. So I was about fifteen years behind everyone else. I picked up my stele, the most important tool for a Shadowhunter.

With the right markings, one could heal themselves, or put a protection spell on for a fight, or if in a pickle just use the stele to stab a bad guy with the pointy end. Marks were applied directly to the Shadowhunter, and they did sting, not to mention they left behind little scars when the marks faded, not that you were ever going to complain if they saved your life. But again, I had the scars but nothing to show for them.

I grabbed my backpack and started to make my way back to the apartments, a small group of housing provided for the members of the school. Mine was occupied by my mom and Luke.

"Hey, wait up," Aaron shouted from behind me.

I turned, a bit startled. I talked to people during classes and training, but pretty much after the first week when everyone learned I was in lock down, I didn't get much after class conversing. The boy that stood in front of me I had seen hundreds of times, I can't say I really knew him all that well, but now that I looked at him, I can't say I really looked at him all that clearly either. He was tall, well taller than me, and his hair was curly and sandy. He had rugged cheekbones and a strong build, but everyone around here did. I just never noticed his eyes, they were kind and smiling even though the rest of him looked nervous.

"What's up?" I asked, blushing at the obvious once over I gave him.

When he smiled, it was forced looking, but it was still cute. "I was wondering, if maybe you'd like to come over and watch a movie tonight, around seven?" I looked down, _oh. _"I mean, I know that your parents don't let you off the base, but I thought maybe they could let you out of their sight for a couple hours?"

I wanted to say yes, my heart was beating so fast. It had been a long time since anyone had shown any interest in me, and it felt really good.

"I'll have to check…but I'd like that," I replied.

"Yeah?" His smile was genuine now and I laughed.

"Yeah."

Mom wasn't home when I arrived at the house. It was quiet and normally I would grab a book or flick on the television but I knew I had work to do if I was going to get her to agree to let me out. I started with the kitchen, tidying up the clutter and washing the dishes. Then I wiped down the counters and swept the floor. When that room looked done, I moved to the living room, dusting, vacuuming and cleaning up Luke's newspapers.

"What do you want?" Luke's voice startled me and I jumped.

With my hand on my chest and my heart thumping my voice didn't pull off the casualness I was hoping for. "Can't a girl just clean a room without the third degree every once in a while?"

"Of course a girl can, you however, it's more doubtful." His lips were turned up at the side and I rolled my eyes at him.

The truth was, I liked Luke. He was a good guy and he made my mom happy. He unfortunately liked to rib on me like I was twelve and sometimes it could cause some tense moments between us.

Mom came through the door then, in each arm she held two grocery bags. I looked at Luke. "You may want to stop hounding on my stellar family responsibility and help mom with the groceries."

"You win this one," he said with mock darkness in his voice, turning and taking the bags from mom.

"Wow, honey, it looks great in here," mom said smiling.

"I was hoping since I did some chores that maybe I could ask you for something." My hands linked together and I wrung them, my nerves getting the best of me.

She narrowed her eyes, looking a lot like Luke had just a few minutes earlier. "And that would be?"

"Well a friend from my training class asked…"

"Clary," she sighed. "We have been over this. It's not safe. Until Valentine is caught…"

"I'm not asking to leave the base," I explained hurriedly.

Her eyes narrowed further; pretty soon they would be closed. "Then what are you asking?"

"He just wants me to come over and watch a movie."

"He?"

"Uh, um, eeee, ahhh….yeah?" I flushed a brilliant red to match the color of my hair.

With a knowing smile mom agreed. "Okay, but you know the rules. To his house and then back, and you have three hours. That should be plenty of time."

"What if we wanted to watch Lord of the Rings?" I asked with a smile.

"Don't be sassy," she retorted, but she was grinning.

I didn't wait around for her to change her mind; I took the stairs two at a time, rushing up to my room. I combed out my hair, it rested in the middle of my back and it was the only thing of my mother's I got. I always saw her as beautiful and my features were like the elf versions of hers. I was cute, short and cute.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was just after six thirty, I didn't have time to shower _and_ change. I grabbed my deodorant and applied a few extra doses before going to the bathroom and washing the sweat off my face and chest.

I put on a bit of eyeliner; it was the only make-up I actually knew how to apply that didn't end up making me look like a clown. I had one of those faces where less really was more. I stepped back and looking in the mirror and realized that I was still in my Shadowhunter gear, which was a pair of black leather pants and a black tank top, along with a pair of steel toe boots. It really brought out the pasty white of my skin.

I grabbed the hem of my tank, ready to pull it off, when the sirens started. There had been drills before, we'd had one last week, which is why I was pretty sure this wasn't one. I pushed my top back down and ran downstairs. Mom and Luke were already in the living room, huddled over their phone. I came up beside my mom and looked at the illuminated screen. Soon it would flash and tell us what we were meant to do, and who would be called to fight. In most Shadowhunter circles, Luke wouldn't be allowed, but mom cashed in some old favors and the higher ups here looked the other way. Why they would care the species of anyone on their side, I could never figure out.

When the beep from the text came, it caused us all to jump.

**Alert 617  
>Call 477<strong>

I had studied these in school. A 617 alert meant a full scale demon attack but I didn't remember a 477 call. Each house was divided into ranks, meaning that Shadowhunters from the same family were less likely to be called into the same fight. I couldn't recall anyone being in that group, but from the look of Luke and mom, it was someone close.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Everyone."

I looked up at the two of them, horrified. "Like _everyone,_ everyone?"

"Not you Clary," mom said. "Only those who have completed their training." And with that they were both on the move. Luke went to the closet to grab the weapons, while mom started lacing her boots up.

"You're leaving me here?" I asked. "What if the demons get through?"

"They aren't here, we are going through the portal," Luke said.

I hadn't even read to the location line on the text, but I knew if it was this bad, I did not want to be left here defenseless. What if the whole thing was a plan to get this base unprotected.

"Don't look like that Clary, we will be okay. We've done this hundreds of times," Luke said, trying to be comforting.

Mom came up to me and brushed my hair back, kissing my forehead. "We will be back soon."

The two of them left in a flurry out the door. I waited about a minute before I grabbed my stele and tore after them.

The streets of our little community were flooded with people. Organized chaos is the only way to describe it, but it was enough chaos that I was able to slip into the crowd undetected. Shadowhunters were drawing marks on each other, preparing for the fight as they made their way toward the portal. As I neared it, I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked up to see my teacher.

"Clary! You should be at home. Get out of here."

I was so close; the portal was just a few steps away. My shoulders sunk and I nodded, right before I turned on my heel and jumped wildly into the portal.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- The Other Side of the Portal

When the portal spewed me out, my body was in shock. The only thing I could see was white. Ice pounded into me harshly, carried by the wind. I wished I had put on a coat. There were sounds of battling in the distance, but I had been dropped away from the heat of it. Portals worked that way, they took you were you wanted to go. I guess I wasn't as brave as I'd thought.

"Damn, it's cold," I said to myself as I tried to follow the sound of the noise.

My feet sunk into the snow but it wasn't yet as high as the top of my boots. I had no idea where the hell I was, and with the visibility my best guess would be Alaska. The heavy black pants that I had cursed in the hot Australian sun were now my lifesaver. As long as I kept moving my arms, maybe they wouldn't fall off. I put my stele in the sheath on my pants and crossed my arms, using my palms to rub up and down.

My eyes were slits as I squinted, trying to keep the snow from going in my eyes. Each time the wind blew, it pelted more frozen ice into my arms. "Okay, Clary, this was dumb, like really, really dumb."

Then I heard it. A crunching, rustling sound in the snow. And it was close.

I grabbed my stele out of my pants and realized that I was pretty stupid not to bring a better weapon. The stele was important, but a sword or an Uzi would have been better. I held out my arm and I started drawing the marks I had learned. My hand was shaking from the cold and the fear of what was to come. I drew a mark for courage and for strength; I was going to need both in a matter of seconds.

The sound came closer and I slid my stele back into its sheath and grabbed my knife from my boot, holding it up by my head ready to strike. At first it was just a shadow in the blizzard and then details made themselves known, the cluster of eyes, the long fat body, the fangs. Just fucking perfect, a Ravener demon.

Letting instinct take over, I lunged at it, striking out with my blade. The tip bounced off the thick skin of the demon and my hand sprung back. It opened its mouth and made a loud growl/scream type noise and my eyes widened. My training kicked it, and I spread my feet, increasing my stance and then I lunged again. This time I sunk my knife into the hilt, taking out at least one of its eyes. The ravener swung its head and once it connected with my body I went flying. I landed hard with a thump in the snow. I leapt to my feet and that was when I heard something else behind me.

The cry had alerted another demon, possibly several. I was going to die.

I crouched. I couldn't see either demon but I could hear them, and I moved as quietly and quickly as I could away from the sound. Unfortunately, no matter which way I headed another was coming. I looked down at the courage rune on my arm and I wondered when it was going to kick in.

Suddenly I was picked up off my feet and I screamed. I thrashed as the demon held me with its four arms. I could feel its hot breath on my neck and the stench traveled to my nose. My legs kicked wildly as I fought to get away from the demon and then just as quick as I was snatch, I was dropped. I spun around to see what had had me, but I couldn't see through the snow again. I heard a thud and a grunt. Human. Maybe I had landed closer to the battle site than I originally thought.

There was a sound of a blade tearing through flesh and then silence. I waited and listened. I didn't want to call out just yet. Perhaps it was another demon, one that just wanted to get rid of the first one so he could eat me.

Then through the snow I could see the outline of someone. Slowly he appeared like an apparition through the snow. His curly blonde hair bounced as he strutted forward, like he wasn't in the middle of a great battle. When he noticed me, he frowned, giving me a quick once over. I would have been offended but I was still taking inventory. He had golden eyes, not hazel but actually golden. They were remarkable. He was absolutely stunning…until he opened his mouth.

"What are you doing out here by yourself? Are you trying to get killed?" he snarled.

"You're alone," I countered, knowing that he was right but his arrogance made me angry.

"I'm good enough to be."

"I was always told there was no room for egos in the field."

"And I was always told to bring a jacket to a winter battle. I guess we had different teachers." He took a couple more steps toward me and as I opened my mouth he covered it with his hand.

I stopped and listened. The other demons were still coming. "There are too many," I whispered when he dropped his hand.

He smirked at me and pulled out his sword, wielding it expertly. "Just try to not get killed…" he trailed off, mumbling something about _mundane _as he leapt through the blizzard.

I held my knife and tried to follow. I didn't want to be left alone, no matter how infuriating the company was but before I found the blonde Shadowhunter, something else found me. I heard it to my right before I saw it. I pivoted and swung my leg around in a high kick, connecting with the demon. I heard it hiss as my other foot rose in the air and dropped down on it, knocking it to the ground. I couldn't think; I had to act. My hand flew out swiping my knife left to right and I felt it connect before I felt the fluid from inside the beast splash out at me. It was warm against my chilled skin and it felt good. I slashed again but it slide out of the way, using a long tentacle like appendage to strike out at me. I took the blow with my shoulder, but the force of it knocked me to the ground again.

"Red are you dead yet?" the boy's voice called out at me from somewhere in the storm.

"I'm still working on it," I yelled back as I kicked my leg out and knocked the demon to the ground with me.

I could see just what kind of demon it was now. It had a human like form but it appeared to be coiling black smoke. The eyes were bright yellow. It was an Iblis demon and lucky for me they weren't very smart.

I stabbed with my knife again and it dug into its leg. The creature cried out and I pulled the blade out and struck again. It flailed at me but I had the advantage and when I finally sunk the death blow the demon burst into ashes.

Before I had a moment to feel excited about my first demon kill another was on me, pushing me flat into the pile of ashes I had just made. I coughed as I inhaled the dust of the other demon. I felt the claws dig into my back as it ripped at me, I cried out in pain.

"I was joking, Red," the boy said as he pulled the creature off me. A quick neck snap and it too was gone. He bent down beside me and then noticed my injury. "Hold still, let me."

Grabbing his stele, he placed his hands on my hips and turned me. I leaned forward, resting my hands on my knees as he pulled the bottom of my tank up. Then started carving the Iratze rune on my lower back. I hissed, feeling the added pain of the healing mark on top of my injury.

"Are you sure that will be enough, what if it was poison?" I asked, my body feeling like it was weakening fast.

My heart rate picked up and so did my panic, I knew that the faster my heart beat, the quicker my blood would spread the poison but I couldn't will it to slow. I felt dizzy, drowsy. I looked up at the blonde boy and a halo of light surrounded him.

"Are you an angel?" I said right before everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Time to Heal

My back was both numb and on fire. The pain told me I was alive and while I was grateful for that, the little men with the tiny jackhammers in my head were making me wish I was otherwise. There was softness under my front and it wasn't cold, so I was obviously out of the snow, and the fight. I wondered if the blonde boy had saved me.

I opened my eyes and turned my head. It was an effort and a discontent sound from my throat alerted everyone to my consciousness.

"She's awake," a girl said.

I didn't like my disadvantage, so I pushed up and into a sitting position, bobbing and shaking as I tried to settle. The dizziness blinded me and I felt my body fall to the side. Strong arms caught me and embarrassed I tried to move out of them but they held me in place.

"Easy, Red," the voice I recognized from the fight said.

"Clary," I answered. "Clary Fray."

"Great, we have a name, now we can get rid of her," the girl spoke again, her voice somewhere between bored and annoyed. My eyes were starting to gain focus again and I spotted the girl on the other side of the room.

She was stunning, long black hair, and skin that looked like it had been airbrushed. She wore a long velvet dress in a midnight blue, combat boots and a whip tied like a fashion accessory around her waist. And I was sitting in her gorgeous, albeit somewhat conceited boyfriend's arms on the couch, no wonder she sounded annoyed.

"Isabelle," the boy chided.

"Whatever," she said with a flick of her neck and left the room.

Feeling slightly more stable, I started to move out of his arms, they were becoming entirely too comforting to be in them any longer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make trouble with your girlfriend."

His laugh came crisp and clear, beautiful, like the rest of him. "Isabelle is my sister, why, were you jealous?"

"Right, cause conceited ass is totally my type," I shot back, my heart beating faster while I tried to pull off the lie. He was gorgeous and he had saved my life, I was entitled to a little crush.

"Oh come on, I thought I was your angel," he teased.

"Low blow. I was poisoned and hallucinating and possibly dying."

"It was a Croucher Demon, non life-threatening," he stated. "But don't worry, I won't let one girl calling me angel go to my head. But you've got to be at least the twentieth."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow, so do you have a name or should I just address your ego when I speak?"

"I like you, Red…"

"Clary."

"I like you, Red. And you can call me Jace. Although I much prefer when the ladies moan it."

I looked at him, and he was completely serious. This was a guy who got who he wanted, when he wanted them and probably in whatever position he wanted. It was the type of guy you just _had _to screw with.

"Jace," I purred low and throaty. "Oh, Jace…" His eyes widened and he licked his lips, leaning in. I let out another little moan before continuing. "Can you show me to the bathroom, I have to pee."

His eyes hardened and I giggled.

Jace led me through a series of ornate hallways and past several large wooden doors. It was obvious that I was in no mere house, but a large mansion. I wondered if it housed a Shadowhunter community like the one I lived in in Australia. When he dropped me off at the door he smirked.

"Would you like me to wait here so you don't get lost on your way back?"

"I think I can manage," I shot back.

I closed the door without looking back at him. After using the facilities, I walked to the mirror and turned on the water, splashing my face. Turning, I lifted up my tank, it was ripped in the back where the claws had gone through. There was a bandage wrapped around my torso, I slowly unwound it to reveal my back. There were three lines where the claw sunk into my body, but they were faint. I could still see the scar from the Iratze rune traced on my skin. I was healing well. I spun back around and looked at my reflection. I was pale, but that was to be expected after being poisoned, but what I didn't recognize is the look in my eyes. They were ablaze, sharp and focused. I had made it through my first fight. I should have been celebrating with my family.

My family.

"Shit," I hissed.

I rushed back out of the bathroom, and tore off down the hall. It was after the first turn that I started to get confused and slowed down. Nothing looked right, or was it that everything looked the same. I couldn't tell which way I had come or even if I was heading in the right direction anymore. Panic flooded me as I thought about mom and Luke coming home to find I was gone. They were going to be pissed, and Aaron…well standing up the first guy to ask me out in years was probably not a good move for my social life.

With the added adrenaline came a rush of pain. While my cuts were healed they seemed to pulse still as the blood rushed through me. I stopped for a moment and took a look around. There was one door that looked right so I headed toward it and opened it up. I walked in and sighed, it was a bedroom. I was about to turn and leave when I noticed the window, it was the first one I had seen in the place.

The room was basic, white walls, white bedding and no personal effects. I didn't feel like I was trespassing on anyone's private space because there was nothing private about it. I walked over to the window and looked out. The ground was covered in snow. With the American accents I didn't really expect to be anywhere near home, but the confirmation was still disheartening. I sighed as I spun back around, screeching when I saw Jace was standing at the door.

"If you wanted to be invited into my room, Red, all you had to do was ask." His tone was cheeky but the look in his eyes told me he was actually uncomfortable with having me in there.

"This is your room?" I asked surprised as I looked around again, trying to see anything that would suggest it was more than a guest bedroom. "Where is all your stuff?"

He pointed to the bed, and then the closet. "Bed, clothes," he stated slowly, like I was a child. I looked at the bed when he mentioned it and the quickly away. I could picture him lying there sleeping and that was adding to my nervousness.

I rolled my eyes and the silence in the room became heavy. The more I fidgeted the more it seemed that Jace stayed still. He was like a statue, watching me curiously in my discomfort.

"Come on, Red, this can't be the first time you've been in a guy's room before."

I could feel the heat rising to my face and I willed him not to notice but the way his eyes widened, showing off more of the unusual gold color, I knew it was just a matter of moments before the teasing started. But instead of saying anything, he took a step closer to me. His body moved fluidly, like a jungle cat and I nibbled on my bottom lip as I wondered what he was doing.

He stood so close to me I could feel the heat coming off his body. I looked at him and he smirked down at me. My heart was thumping so wildly I didn't know how to contain it.

"How long was I out?" I asked, wanting to diffuse the situation.

"About twelve hours," he said, his voice smooth like honey as it rolled over me.

"I…uh…should call my family," I answered dreamily. My head tilting back, my face presented up to his.

"Isabelle is handling it. She will let them know you are back from battle." His hand reached out and landed on my hip. The warmth of it burned right through me and my body flushed with desire. He brought his face closer to mine, so slowly I thought he must be teasing me. He wouldn't kiss me.

"They are going to kill me," I said, whisper soft, rising up a little on my toes to make his journey shorter.

"Why? Shadowhunters get hurt, it happens. They will understand." His face turned slightly and he ran his cheek along the side of mine. I nearly whimpered with need.

"B-But…" I stuttered. "I wasn't supposed to fight. I'm not fully trained."

He pulled back to look at me, his face more serious. "What do you mean? How can you not be trained?" His face registered sheer panic. "How old are you?"

"Easy, Romeo. I'm twenty. It's a long story, but I didn't start training until four years ago."

He studied me for a moment and then licked his lips, bringing his face closer to me again. I felt dizzy from his closeness; the way his breath hit my face.

"You are brave and very stupid, Red."

I was already panting and his lips hadn't touched mine yet. He brought them so close I could feel the energy off them and yet they still didn't touch. I started to sway, and it was a moment too late that I realized that it wasn't him that was making me dizzy. The moment just before his lips touched mine, my eyes closed and everything went black…again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I felt better than I did the last time I woke, but that could have had something to do with the arms wrapped around me. I opened my eyes and knew immediately I was on Jace's bed. He was resting up on one elbow, looking down at me.

"I knew I made girls swoon, but you are the first one that's flat out fainted on me." His cocky smirk prevalent on his face.

"You are infuriating," I groaned.

"And sexy," he continued for me, smiling and leaning in closer; his body making mine hum.

"Hmmmm, maybe a little."

"Just a little?" His body hovered over mine making me warm and causing me to shiver at the same time.

"Shut up and kiss me, Jace," I said, finally tired of the game, needing to feel his lips against mine.

When we finally connected, my whole body erupted in tingles. I let out an embarrassing whimper as he began to move his lips against mine. I kissed him back, following his lead. I had never kissed anyone before—and he had kissed plenty. I could feel my face start to tense. I willed myself to stop thinking but I couldn't. I tried to keep moving my lips but I could feel them hard and no longer working toward the common goal. My body became rigid and he pulled back looking down at me confused.

"What happened?" he asked. I was humiliated, tears welled up in my eyes and I turned my face away from him. "Clary, what? What did I do?" His voice was earnest, the most genuine that I had heard it and it only made my cry more.

"I've never kissed anyone before," I wailed. Everything about this moment made me want to die. I was beyond mortified and suddenly my demon attack didn't seem nearly as scary as right now.

Jace burst out laughing and my sobbing morphed into anger. I looked at him and smacked his arm, which only hurt me and caused him to laugh louder. And damn it, if it wasn't infectious. I started laughing right along with him. My pride was still wounded so I tucked my hand into my chest, cradling it with my other one and I pouted.

"You were doing fine before you started thinking about it," he offered, turning serious again.

"Yeah, but you've kissed so many girls. I was worried that you would compare." _That I wouldn't measure up, _I finished in my head.

"The ones before don't mean anything. It's the one I'm kissing now that matters." He gave me an honest smile, but I had to wonder how many girls had gotten that smile while lying in his bed.

"So you're saying that when the next one comes, I won't mean a thing?" I countered, partly teasing but more wanting to hear the truth.

He looked shocked at my deduction and then shook his head. "Red, you'll always mean something."

"Why?" I inquired skeptically. "What would make me different from all those other girls?"

He ducked his head down and looked almost shy for a moment. When he spoke, his words were soft and sincere, "What makes you different, is I actually like you. You are unlike anyone I've met."

I looked at him for a moment. "Oh, you are good," I laughed. "But I don't care right now. I just want to try kissing again."

He looked up at me and laughed. "Red, I'm going to kiss you until you believe me."

"You have a lot of work ahead of you then, Blondie," I teased back. The comment earned me a growl right before he brought his lips down on mine again.

Kissing Jace was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and while I had never tried crack, I was willing to bet this was just as addictive. My hand got lost in his mess of curls and I gripped the back of his head. The delicious weight of his body pressed against mine, causing my breaths to become heavier. Warm fingers crawled up my side, forming themselves around my ribs. I moaned wantonly, my head falling back with the need for air. Jace's lips never left my skin; they glided over my chin and down my neck on a path of sheer pleasure.

"Clary," his voice pleaded with me as his hand raised higher, causing me to arch my back.

"Jace," I answered, my voice needy.

"Clary!" Knock. Knock. Knock.

I moaned.

_Wait. What?_

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Clary!" Isabelle's voice called through the door again.

Jace groaned and grumbled as he rolled off, letting me up. I sat up and straightened my shirt before going to the door. Jace lay back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. When I opened the door, Isabelle stood there with a phone in her hand and an annoyed look on her face.

"About time," she said rolling her eyes as she took in my flushed face and Jace lounging on the bed. "Your parents." She thrust the phone at me and took off down the hall.

I looked over to Jace, my eyes wide, feeling like we had just been caught making out by said parents. He nodded at my hand and I looked back at the phone.

"Hello?" I said meekly.

The ensuing chaos was hard to understand. Mom was yelling, then Luke was yelling, then they were both reasoning, asking if I was okay, and then mom was yelling again. And finally one of them spoke to me.

"What were you thinking?" Luke asked. His voice was more disappointed sounding than angry. Bloody guilt trips, they were the worst.

"I'm sorry…I…" The phone was ripped out of my hands before I was able to finish.

"Your daughter fought brilliantly and bravely, you should be proud," Jace said. "This is Jace Lightwood…Yes, Ma'am…Of course Ma'am…Will do, see you soon." He pulled the phone back and hit end.

I looked at him, unable to determine what was more shocking. The fact that he did that, or all the politeness.

"What did they say?"

"They are coming to get you. I think they were just more worried than anything. You'll be fine." He turned so that his back was to me.

"They are coming now?" The idea not as welcoming as I would have thought. Jace and I had kissed, but where did that leave us? We lived half a world away. I assumed, I still didn't know where I was. "Where are we anyway?"

Jace chuckled a little. "New York."

"So what now?"

"I guess now we say goodbye."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I sat in my room. I was too old to be grounded but with the guilt trips that had been flying my way over the last week, I preferred to just sequester myself. A self-imposed grounding. Didn't really matter much, it's not like I was allowed a social life. Not like Jace, who had probably moved on and started telling the next girl how special she was.

I was stupid to care; I should be enjoying it for what it was, a fun time with a hot guy but while I remember the kisses, each toe-curling detail, what I'll never forget was the look in his beautiful golden eyes right before I stepped through the portal.

_He stood there silently, his arms folded behind his back like he was a soldier at attention. I suppose that is exactly what he was. My mom and Luke were thanking Isabelle for contacting them and I took the opportunity to look at Jace. His eyes met mine and they looked regretful; or was it remorseful? He took a step forward and as he opened his mouth to say something, Luke came between us and took my arm._

"_Come on, Clary. It's time to go home."_

_I ducked my head back so I could see him again. He was looking down but it was like he felt me and he looked up again. He looked broken and I wondered if maybe he was telling the truth. There was a book in his eyes and I didn't have time to read it before I was pulled into the portal._

Of course now I knew. It had been a week and I hadn't heard a thing from him. I had read _He's Just Not That Into You_, I knew that if a guy wanted to call, he'd call. It wasn't really worth the effort anyway. New York was a long way from Australia.

A knock came at my door. "Clary," mom called. "You have a visitor."

My heart beat frantically, I jumped up off my bed. I grabbed my brush, pulling it through my knotty hair, and then threw on some deodorant. If Jace was here, I didn't really want to look like I hadn't bathed in three days, even though that was the truth.

I scurried down the stairs, nearly missing the last one and falling but righting myself at the last moment. Pushing past an amused looking Luke, I stopped dead when I saw him standing at my front door.

"Aaron?" I said trying to disguise my disappointment.

"Hi, Clary." He looked nervously from me to Luke and then back.

"Let's go outside," I suggested and he nodded gratefully.

He opened the door and I tucked my hands in my pockets as I walked by him and out into the yard. The front lawn was small and was decorated with a few large rocks. I sat down on one of them and Aaron on the one next to me.

"I heard you went and fought," he started.

"Yeah… I'm sorry I missed the movie."

He laughed. "I think you had a good enough reason. Impending doom and all."

I laughed back. Aaron really was a nice guy. I looked at him and he was still as good looking as he was before. But his curly hair wasn't blonde, and it was short. His arms were strong but they weren't littered with the scars of hundreds of runes. And his eyes. Still smiling and kind but brown and dull compared to the self-assured golden ones that Jace sported.

I sighed.

"What's wrong? We can do it another time."

I smiled at him. "Thank you, I just don't think so right now."

His brow furrowed and he nodded his head. "But maybe later?"

I bit my lip, wondering how I could explain what one kiss from another guy did to me. How I would never be able to settle for anything less that the spark I felt when I was with him. That it didn't matter he was so far away because he was still all I could think about.

"It's okay. I'm patient," Aaron said. "I'll try my luck again another time." He stood up and gave me a sweet smile. "I'll see you in class, Clary."

"Bye, Aaron."

The next week I was an unstoppable force. Combat class was a breeze, after taking a demon down, there wasn't another person in my class that could even lower me to the mat. I trained hard with the weapons and was becoming quite the expert with a whip. Although I preferred a bow and arrow.

On Friday, the teacher called the class together to make an announcement. Apparently her name was Miss Hollowatty, and she was leaving, transferring. But learning her name and her upcoming transfer was not the shocking news. That came after.

"This will be your new teacher." With a wave of her hand all eyes went where mine were already locked.

A cocky grin spread across his lips. "I'm Jace. I'll be your new teacher."

The blonde girl next to me sighed. "Isn't he cute?" She took a step forward and I darted my foot out and she fell to the ground.

The commotion caught the attention of everyone else and Jace finally looked over at me. The sun hit his yellow locks and made them look like they were glowing. His eyes met mine and the smile on his face spread and I couldn't help but mirror it.

"Class dismissed," he stated, taking a step toward me but had to stop with the rest of the class making an exit.

I stayed still while people pushed past me, eager to get home for the day. When we were the only two left in the combat yard we finally closed the distance between us.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, unsure if I should assume anything.

"I'm your new teacher," he answered coyly.

"Aren't you too young to be a teacher?"

He stepped in, slipped an arm around my back and pulled me tight to his front. A surprised sound escaped my lips right before my body started to burn.

"I thought you knew by know just how impressive I am."

"Hmmm," I answered. "I think I can be taught."

His mouth came down on mine and all pretenses were gone. He had missed me just as much as I had missed him. I felt it in the way his lips moved against mine, the way his hand squeezed a little tighter on my waist to hold me closer and the way he wouldn't let go even when we needed to stop for breath.

"Do you believe me yet?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

"If I say yes will you stop kissing me?"

"Not on your life, Red," he said laughing and coming in kiss me again.

**The End**


End file.
